Franchise and Business Opportunities Articles

If we’re really honest with ourselves, no matter how prepared and composed we can be when engaging change, everyone feels at least a little trepidation at the thought of taking life into our own hands.  Therefore, it’s no surprise that a person entering the franchising world should get to feeling nervous for one reason or another.  So it’s important, when you think about franchising, to ask what scares you.

One common answer is the thought that instead of overseeing a profitable business from the comfort of your own home office, you’re going to wind up driving the van and sweeping chimneys with your own two hands for the rest of your living days—a chilling prophecy.  If that’s what the annoying little voice of pessimism in the back of your head is constantly chanting, go ahead and tell it to shut up, because you’re not alone.

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As a financially sound person knows, if money is sitting in a bank account not working, then it’s being wasted. Interest is a slow form of accruing wealth, which in most non-risk investment opportunities barely keeps up with inflation. The next safest thing that most people choose to turn to is real estate. Purchasing a home and either renovating and re-selling, or renting is another type of investment that has a relatively low risk-to-reward factor; or at least it used to. The one thing that used to be reliable was that money put into a home was going to grow. A survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, however, said the rising interest rates across the continent have caused the housing market to slow sharply in the second half of 2007. This trend is continuing, and while it doesn’t look to be headed in as dreadful of a direction as the housing market crisis of the 1990’s, homeowners could be in for another hard hit as interest rates look primed to rise again in 2008. In Ireland housing prices actually fell over the latter part of 2007 by 7%.

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For many people who are looking for a good investment, a nice change of scenery or perhaps just an escape from the grind at a dead end job, the prospect of starting your own company will undoubtedly seem very attractive.  Maybe you have considered starting a new business from scratch and had a tough time raising funds, putting together a strong business plan or coming up with that winning idea for your company.  If any of this sounds familiar, consider that a franchise may be the best option to get you into your own company and to give you the best possible chance to succeed.  A franchise is like a business for sale in which you, the franchisee, buys a franchise from the franchisor.  Basically it comes down to a successful company who decides to become a chain and takes applications from prospective business owners wishing to join their team.  The great part about owning and operating a franchise is that you will still retain many of the benefits of starting a small business from the ground up but you will avoid many of the financial dangers of going out on a limb to start your own company. On average, franchises are about five times more likely to still be in business after ten years than a typical small business.  If you are considering a franchise opportunity, you will need to know that basics and what types of franchises are available to the budding entrepreneur.

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GREENTHUMB
Greenthumb is Britain’s largest lawn-care franchise with 175 franchise branches nationwide treating a lawn every 6 seconds somewhere in the UK.  Pioneers of their special “No Scorch Technology” fertilizers, they provide a four-treatment system that can be capped off with two “optional lawn beneficials” to make a lawn as beautiful as it’s ever been.  Professionals and clientele agree that Greenthumb’s Nutragreen range of lawn treatments is one of the best, hands down; there seem to be no end of people who have used their services and proclaim it “the best decision I ever made.”  And the benefits to customers don’t overshadow the perks for franchisees.  The impressive and easy start-up package for new partners to the business comes complete with an initial training course to give anyone the green thumb necessary to quickly join in the financial success.

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A new generation of property investors is appearing in the UK, and rising to the forefront of that growing wave is a company called Platinum Property Partners, a business that has made quite a splash of late, being recently endorsed by BBC TV property presenters Martin Roberts and Sarah Walker.  Led by founders Steve Bolton and Nick Carlile, PPP is built on a system that the two entrepreneurs call “a very successful and profitable buy to let investment strategy” that manages to produce both regular profit and capital growth. 

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There was a time when it was commonplace for men to have a corporate business job and for their wives to stay at home and take care of the children. While that may still be seen as ”normal”, the push of women into the business world is a welcome and ever increasing change. With more and more women having continuous successful business opportunities, the role of their husbands is in some cases shifting to be a stay at home dad. While this is also a great opportunity, there is often a desire to generate additional income whilst staying at home and so there is a growing market for home based business that appeals to the stay at home dad and provides the flexibility to make his hours and work around school schedules. Here, briefly, are 10 great franchise options for the stay at home dad to run from the home office.

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As anyone with a sensible business mindset will agree, one of the most critical aspects to a successful business opportunity is having a good network of referrals and business contacts. In the business world it is partially what you know, but it’s also true that it’s who you know that really helps launch a successful business. One of the business franchises that is becoming a successful and profitable small business is networking and referral franchises that allow busy professionals to connect and make important businesses contacts. Business for Breakfast was spotlighted as one of those networking franchise opportunities that not only provides networking ability but also had a franchise owner available to share some insight into what Business for Breakfast does, and franchising in general.  Below are a few answers from a Business for Breakfast franchise owner who was asked about owning a home-based franchise.

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After 15 years as a primary school teacher, a Worcester woman has turned her mentoring skills to local businesses.

Maria Burns (49) of Battenhall in Worcester, was a teacher at Abbeywood First School, but this year decided she wanted a complete change of career, establishing a business dedicated to helping smaller firms across the region beat the big brands by tapping into the power of the internet.

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Following a career in corporate banking spanning some 25 years, a Warwickshire woman is focusing her marketing skills on helping local businesses to take on the big brands by tapping into the power of the internet.

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National franchisor, ORCA Websites, has launched a UK-wide recruitment drive as it expands its operation.

The franchise, which has already recruited 38 franchisees across the country, is dedicated to helping local businesses beat the big brands by tapping into the power of the internet. Established in January 2006, ORCA provides search engine-friendly, big-brand quality websites at affordable prices for smaller businesses.

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